The Dig is a 2021 British drama film directed by Simon Stone. It is based on the 2007 historical novel of the same name by John Preston. The story follows the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. The film features actors Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott, Archie Barnes, and Monica Dolan.

The movie was first shown in select theaters on January 14, 2021. It later became available to stream on Netflix on January 29, 2021. Critics gave the film positive reviews. It was also nominated for five British Academy Film Awards, including the category for Outstanding British Film.

Plot

In 1939, Edith Pretty, a landowner in Suffolk, hired Basil Brown, a local self-taught archaeologist, to work on large burial mounds at her estate in Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge. At first, she offered him the same pay he had received from the Ipswich Museum, which was equal to an agricultural worker’s wage. However, he said this amount was too low, so she increased his pay by 12% to £2 per week (about £120 in 2020), and he agreed.

Basil’s former employers tried to convince him to work on a Roman villa they believed was more important. They ignored him when he suggested the mounds might be from the Anglo-Saxon period instead of the more common Viking era, even though he had left school at age 12.

With help from assistants from Edith’s estate, Basil carefully excavated the most promising mound. One day, the trench collapsed on him, but he was pulled out safely. He spent more time with Edith, a widow, and her young son Robert, sharing his interest in archaeology and astronomy with them. Basil’s wife, May, supported his work despite the low pay. Edith struggled with poor health and was told by her doctor to avoid stress.

Basil was surprised to find iron rivets from a ship, which suggested the site might be the burial place of someone very important, like a king. A local archaeologist named James Reid Moir tried to join the dig but was not allowed to. Instead, Edith hired her cousin, Rory Lomax, to help. Word of the discovery spread, and Charles Phillips, an archaeologist from Cambridge, arrived. He declared the site important and took charge of the dig under the Office of Works.

As World War II approached, Phillips brought a large team, including Stuart Piggott and his wife, Peggy. Peggy found evidence proving the site was Anglo-Saxon. Basil was later given only minor tasks to keep the site in order, but Edith stepped in and allowed him to continue digging. Basil discovered a Merovingian Tremissis, a small gold coin from the Late Antiquity period, and Phillips confirmed the site’s major historical value. Phillips wanted to send all the artifacts to the British Museum, but Edith, worried about air raids in London, insisted on keeping them. An official review confirmed that she owned the ship and its valuable treasures, but her health continued to worsen.

Peggy, who felt neglected by her husband Stuart, became close to Rory. However, Rory was soon called to serve in the Royal Air Force. Peggy ended her marriage and had a relationship with Rory before he left. Edith decided to donate the Sutton Hoo treasure to the British Museum and asked that Basil be recognized for his work. The film ends with Basil and his coworkers covering the ship with earth to protect it.

As the credits roll, text explains what happened to Edith and the artifacts. During the war, the treasure was hidden in the London Underground. It was first displayed—without mentioning Basil Brown—nine years after Edith’s death. Much later, Basil received full credit for his work. His name is now permanently displayed next to Edith’s at the British Museum.

Cast

• Carey Mulligan plays the role of Edith Pretty
• Ralph Fiennes plays the role of Basil Brown
• Lily James plays the role of Peggy Piggott
• Johnny Flynn plays the role of Rory Lomax
• Ben Chaplin plays the role of Stuart Piggott
• Ken Stott plays the role of Charles Phillips
• Archie Barnes plays the role of Robert Pretty
• Monica Dolan plays the role of May Brown
• Eamon Farren plays the role of John Brailsford
• Danny Webb plays the role of John Grateley

Production

The project started in 2006 when producer Ellie Wood read the book The Dig by John Preston before it was published in 2007. She bought the rights to make a movie version of the story. In September 2018, it was announced that Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes were discussing joining the film. However, by August 2019, Kidman could not continue because her schedule conflicted with another movie. Carey Mulligan was chosen to take her place instead. The film rights were also moved from BBC Films to Netflix. Lily James began talks about joining the cast in September 2019. In October 2019, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott, and Monica Dolan joined the film’s cast.

Main filming began in October 2019 at Shackleford in Surrey. Norney Grange was used as a stand-in for Pretty’s house at Sutton Hoo. Additional filming took place in Suffolk near the site where the original discovery happened. The film’s team studied materials at the British Museum’s Sutton Hoo archive and gallery. Underwater scenes were filmed at Pinewood Studios.

Release

The film began showing in a limited number of theaters on January 15, 2021. Netflix made the film available to watch online on January 29, 2021. During its first weekend, the film was the third most popular movie. In the next two weekends, it was the seventh most popular movie each time.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes states that 88% of 153 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 7.20 out of 10. The site’s critics consensus says, "The film features strong performances by Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, set against beautiful scenes of the English countryside. The Dig offers valuable moments from the period drama genre." Metacritic, which collected reviews from 35 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, reported that the film received "generally favorable" reviews.

Kevin Maher of The Times gave the film five out of five stars and called it a "serious, thoughtful, and emotionally powerful movie. A must-see." Katie Rife of The A.V. Club gave the film a B− and wrote, "Although the film has grand, romantic ideas, watching The Dig feels similar to sitting at a bus stop."

Will Gompertz of BBC News gave the film four out of five stars, stating that "it is a pleasant film made with care and sensitivity. It is a refreshing experience during cold winter days and nights. While it does not have the emotional or intellectual strength to be a classic movie, I would enjoy watching it again." Mark Kermode of The Guardian gave the film three out of five stars, writing that "it is a sad but hopeful story about shared goals, new friendships, and the lasting influence of the past. It sometimes includes a romantic story that feels unnecessary, but the film’s beautiful cinematography helps lift it."

On February 4, 2021, the film was nominated for nine BAFTA awards, including Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Director, Leading Actor, Cinematography, and Adapted Screenplay. The nominations were announced on March 9, 2021. At the awards ceremony on April 10 and 11, the film did not win any of the categories it was nominated for.

Historical accuracy

Mark Bridge of The Times reported that archaeologists disagreed with the film’s depiction of Peggy Piggott as inexperienced and hired only because her light weight would not harm the site. By 1939, Piggott was already an experienced archaeologist who had studied archaeology at the University of Cambridge and the University of London. The film showed her married to an older, more experienced male archaeologist, but in reality, Stuart Piggott was only two years older than her (27 and 29, respectively), and they met while both were students. The film’s portrayal of their marriage was called “staggeringly slanderous,” as they did not divorce until 1956.

The ages of other characters in the film were also changed from their real-life counterparts. Charles Phillips, who was in his late 30s during the dig, was played by Ken Stott, who was in his 60s, and portrayed as an elderly grumpy person. Landowner Edith Pretty, who was in her mid-50s, was first planned to be played by 53-year-old Nicole Kidman, but the role was later given to Carey Mulligan, who was in her mid-30s at the time.

Bridge also criticized the film’s addition of a fictional character named Rory Lomax as a love interest for Piggott. In reality, Rory Lomax was not part of the story. The film’s version of Lomax, who was Edith Pretty’s cousin and shown as a photographer, replaced the real photographers: Mercie Lack, Barbara Wagstaff, and O.G.S. Crawford, who were all involved in taking photos of the site. The film excluded the two women who took many photographs to create a romantic storyline.